Wing man: John Gasparac

Name: John Gasparac
Age: 43
Hometown: Vancouver
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
Job: Audit partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

I moved here because it was an opportunity to work in an emerging market and an exciting environment from which my family originates. But deep down, I think it was to be able to watch European soccer live, instead of going down to Commercial Drive.

The first thing I did was go to the main city square and drink a cappuccino. This is truly a café culture, even though the first Starbucks location won’t open until 2009.

The biggest shock was the number of luxury cars for a country recently having gone through a war and with an economy only starting to develop. I had never seen so many Mercedes-Benz and BMWs in one place.

The biggest misconception I had was that in Canada we were much more technologically advanced. But when it comes to cellphones, I think Croatians have the market covered. Even old grandmothers living in small villages can be seen with their Nokias, texting to their friends.

What I miss most is chicken wings. I have been here over 10 years and this is still the case.

The people are proud and vain. They love their country, yet they will criticize the slightest imperfections. But whatever they’re doing, they have to look good; a designer label never hurts.

Their biggest concern is the national soccer team. When Croatia beat Germany at the Euro 2008 championship, there was dancing in the streets all over the country. When we lost to Turkey, the depression hit as hard as if a family member had died. You felt that flags should be flying at half mast.

The food is fantastic! It ranges from grilled meats, such as cevapcici – grilled ground beef fingers served in warm soft bread – to seafood. Adriatic squid is particularly popular and something I can rarely get enough of.

What B.C. could learn from Zagreb is to really “work to live.” People always have time for a coffee; everything will get done eventually. It’s more important to enjoy yourself now, not later.